Rikkai AU
by crassreine
Summary: Ryoma just wanted to go to Rikkai, not actually go to school at Rikkai! BL, Yukimura/Ryoma, Dimension Travel, Swearing.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Prince of Tennis

**A/N:** Once upon a time, in a Forum on ff net (POT stands for Pointless but Original Talking!), there was Thread for Challenges (now deleted), and on that Thread, an author (hyperdude) posted a challenge, which another author (me) accepted.

This story is the product of that challenge. I hope you'll come to enjoy it as much I have and hopefully, will continue to enjoy.

Comment's, critique, all welcomed and appreciated.

* * *

It was another boring day at Seishun Gakuen, and another boring English class for Ryoma. They'd attended the third years' graduation ceremony last Friday and now, at the beginning of a new week Ryoma felt frustrated; even tennis practice didn't hold the usual appeal when there was no chance of playing against Tezuka, or Fuji. Not that Momo and Kaidoh weren't good, but he never got the same kind of excitement playing the two of them as he got from playing other, stronger players.

People like Sanada, Atobe, Yukimura….

Ryoma's mind wandered to the nationals, his match against Yukimura. It had been scary, being blind, not being able to feel anything. But giving up had never even been a possibility. He couldn't, not when he knew he still had more to give.

And it had been fun, more fun and much harder than any other game he'd ever played. And he wanted to do it all over again.

Maybe if he went to Rikkai?

He hadn't asked, but Inui had volunteered the information that Rikkai didn't have their graduation ceremony until a week after Seigaku did, so Yukimura might still be there, if Ryoma showed up at Rikkai's tennis practice. All he'd have to do is hop on a bus. He could go today. Kaidoh-sempai would understand him skipping practice for this. Then again, maybe not. Better leave it to Momo-sempai to tell him.

"Oi, Echizen!" Horio nearly screamed in his ear. "Class's over."

"Che," Ryoma huffed and grabbed his bags.

"What were you thinking about, anyway? I swear I saw you smile!" Horio grinned. "You were thinking about Ryuzaki, weren't you?" he yelled, making Ryoma want to hit him. He glanced to the front of the class where Sakuno was standing with her friends, face flushed after Horio's shout.

"Horio-kun, it wouldn't hurt you to… keep your thoughts to yourself every now and then," Katsuo said, glancing at Sakuno.

Ryoma avoided looking at Sakuno when they left class. He wanted to smack Horio for making him feel so awkward around her. He was sure Sakuno thought he'd been thinking about her, and he hadn't. All Ryoma wanted was to play tennis, why did everyone insist on making girls - and one girl in particular - a part of his life?

"Be careful, that's very expensive!" Ryoma heard an unfamiliar voice say as he stepped through the classroom door in to the hallway. "Don't touch that lever! Watch out kid!"

"Ryoma-kun! Turn around!" Katsuo yelled and Ryoma turned to look at his left. All he could see was a shimmering oval shape falling down on him.

'_I'm going to die before I had a chance to play Yukimura again. I just wanted to go to Rikkai,'_ Ryoma thought as everything around him turned to blue and white lightning.

**Rikkai AU**

Ryoma lifted a hand to his eyes and stumbled backwards. He grabbed on to the closest thing his hand came into contact with and soon an arm came around his waist to stop him from falling down. He kept his eyes closed and soon realized he'd taken hold of someone's arm as he stumbled. That someone was taller and more muscular than him. The arm around his waist didn't loosen until Ryoma opened his eyes. He took a deep breath when he recognized the face peering down on him with a worried expression.

"Are you alright?" Yukimura Seichii asked with that ever present a gentle smile of his.

"M' fine," Ryoma mumbled and tried to step back only to realize he couldn't free himself from Yukimura's hold. "I'm fine," Ryoma repeated, scowling this time since the other boy hadn't released him yet.

"If you are sure," Yukimura said and let him go. "I'm Yukimura Seichii, nice to meet you."

"Che, I know who you are," Ryoma scoffed.

Yukimura raised an eyebrow and his smile turned pleased. "You do? That's wonderful. And you are?"

Ryoma frowned. Was he fucking kidding? There was no way Yukimura could have forgotten him so fast. They'd played just a few days ago. It wasn't a game you forgot so easily! Not in a few days!

"Ryoma-kun! Are you alright?" Ryoma recognized Katsuo's voice before he turned to look at the other boy.

"I'm fine, just-" Ryoma didn't finish the sentence because he saw what Katsuo was wearing; a white shirt and a tie. They didn't wear ties! And the corridor looked different; the windows were wider than before, it was all wrong! What the hell was going on?

"So it's Ryoma-kun?" Yukimura kept smiling at him. "Perhaps I will see you again before graduation," Yukimura hummed and left, leaving Ryoma to stare at his back. From Yukimura's back his gaze wandered again to the corridor, which didn't look anything at all like it should have, to his own shoes, to his pants, his shirt and tie.

"Where the hell am I?" Ryoma asked out loud.

"Late for our next class with me, Ryoma-kun!" Katsuo yelled and dragged the dazed boy with him. "Why'd you have to embarrass yourself in front of Yukimura-sempai? He's like the coolest of the third years. I wanna be like him one day, be the captain of some team and win the Nationals! Don't you?" Katsuo looked back at him with a look of hero worship on his face.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Ryoma answered, still at a loss.

"Too bad neither of us plays tennis."

"What?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Beta:** Fayah

**A/N: **Opinions and critique, all kinds of reviews welcomed.

* * *

No tennis. No tennis? No tennis!

It couldn't be true! Ryoma had to play tennis, there had to be tennis, he was nothing without tennis, life wasn't worth living without tennis!

Ryoma sat at the back of a classroom he had never before been in, but still somehow had sat by a desk he knew was his. Even the chair felt familiar, so did the scenery from the window and the unfamiliar teacher's voice was a familiar kind of annoying background voice. There was something really wrong here.

He'd probably died when that weird thing crashed on him and gone to hell. Ryoma really didn't think he'd done anything so wrong in his short life that would merit a trip to hell, but if he'd gone to heaven, Horio wouldn't be there, and there he was, at the front of the class, staring at the teacher with a blank face. Probably didn't have any idea what he teacher was saying no matter how intently he seemed to be listening.

And there was no tennis!

Ryoma shivered and pressed his hands on his forehead. He felt sick. This couldn't be happening.

"Alright Ryoma-kun, let's go home," Katsuo stood up from his seat when class ended and looked at him.

"But… tennis practice," Ryoma mumbled, not getting up.

"You want to go watch the tennis practice?" Kachirou asked, coming over to them. "You haven't been interested in tennis in along time. Is it because we won the Nationals?"

"Hmm, yeah," Ryoma said, shakily standing up and gathering his things. It felt strange not having the weight of the tennis bag on his shoulder.

"Oh I remember you used to play tennis when you were a kid," Katsuo said. "You and Horio-kun, though Horio-kun still plays."

Ryoma nearly fell down from shock. Horio played tennis but he didn't? What kind of twisted universe was this? "Uh… let's just go watch," he mumbled and decided to follow Horio, who really was carrying a tennis bag.

When they reached the courts there was already a crowd there. Ryoma figured half the school was there and most of them were girls. He flinched when he recognized Osakada Tomoka. The girl looked at him, but didn't shriek or squeal the way Ryoma was used to her doing. Instead she was staring starry eyed at someone on the tennis court. Ryoma followed her gaze and recognized the boy he same time Tomoka yelled, "Akaya-sama!"

The boy on the court visibly twitched and turned to glare at the girl who just waved at her new idol, a big grin on her face.

So there was one good thing in this twisted universe. Ryoma felt a cruel smile form on his lips. He couldn't think of anyone more deserving of Tomoka's worshipping than Kirihara. He was still pissed about his knee.

"There's Horio-kun," Kachirou pointed on the courts. "He's talking to Sanada-sempai."

Ryoma looked to where Kachirou pointed and recognized Sanada immediately. Horio was clutching his racket, standing straight in front of the vice-captain, not looking at all like his usual bragging self. He bowed deeply when Sanada was done talking to him and went to practice swinging his racket.

"Oh, he isn't playing," Katsuo pointed out.

"First years don't get to play that often," Ryoma muttered and stared hungrily at the people playing on the courts. He ached to be there. He would have been fine with just running laps around the courts or doing swing practices with Horio.

His eyes went to the person he'd wanted to see this morning. He'd wanted so much to see Yukimura, but this wasn't how it was meant to be. He was supposed to show up on the Rikkai courts and challenge Yukimura to a game wearing his Seigaku uniform and cap.

His cap!

Ryoma's hand flew on his head but of course it wasn't there. He never wore it anywhere but at tennis practice, why would he have it in this twisted universe where he didn't even play tennis?

His eyes returned to the courts and he caught Yukimura's eyes on him. The older boy lifted a hand and waved at him. Ryoma huffed and left. He wasn't staying here to be mocked at.

0

0

"Who's the kid Mura-buchou's waving at?" Marui asked, blew a bubble and then continued to chew on his gum while bouncing a tennis ball on his racket.

"No idea," Niou said and snagged the tennis ball and started tossing it. "Never seen him before. He's cute."

"Didn't know you looked out for cute boys," Marui said and tried to get his ball back, but Niou just tossed it higher.

"He's a first year," Kirihara said from behind them. The minute he turned to look at the crowd, there was a loud yell,

"Do your best, Akaya-samaaaa!"

"I hate that bitch," Kirihara spat the words between his clenched teeth and glared at the girl, murder in his eyes.

"You shouldn't be so cruel to your fan girls- oh, sorry, fan girl," Niou grinned.

"Fuck off, sempai," Kirihara cursed and took the ball from Niou and threw it at the squealing girl who somehow managed catch it. "Shit!" Kirihara cursed again and tore at his hair when the girl squealed some more and _huggled_ the ball.

"Language, Akaya," Yanagi reprimanded the boy from behind them.

"Hey Yanagi, you know the kid?" Niou asked him.

"The one Yukimura has taken on interest in?" Yanagi asked and when Niou nodded, continued. "Yes. He's always on top of his classes. Doesn't attend any sport clubs."

"Weird. He seems like the athletic type," Niou mused.

"How'd you know that? You just saw him," Marui had taken another ball and was bouncing it on his racket again. This time when Niou tried to take it, he just moved the racket and the ball from Niou's reach.

"Dunno," Niou shrugged. "He just does."

"Do not misunderstand. Just because he doesn't attend any sports club, doesn't mean he isn't athletic," Yanagi said.

"What club's he in?" Kirihara asked.

"Art." Yanagi answered, managing to confuse them all even more.

"Any good?" Niou asked, after he'd processed the not-information Yanagi had provided about the boy's sporting activities.

"No idea," Yanagi admitted.

"His work is acceptable," Yukimura had appeared behind them. "Nothing exceptional, though," he pursed his lips together. "Shouldn't you be doing something like practicing, since we are at practice?" Yukimura gave them all an icy smile that had them running off to do things they should have been doing all the time.

Yukimura watched the boy walk out off the school gate with his friends. He had seen him before, acknowledged his existence but never really paid much attention to him, before today when the boy suddenly seemed to pass out in the middle of the hallway and had grabbed hold of him in order to stay standing. And when the boy had opened his eyes there had been something different in the gaze, something Yukimura had not seen before, was sure hadn't been there earlier.

He wasn't sure what it was yet, but was determined to find out.

0

0

Ryoma followed Katsuo and Kachirou out of school, trying to understand what was going on. Somehow he'd ended up going to school in Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, along with Horio, Katsuo, Kachirou and Tomoka. He was pretty sure that if he'd look, he'd find Sakuno there too.

So far his mind hadn't come up with a better explanation than hell. Or it could be a dream. He was probably in a coma somewhere, lying on a hospital bed and all this was just a hallucination, a weird, twisted dream he'd cooked up, provoked by the last thought he remembered from before the blue and white lightning. _'I just wanted to go to Rikkai.' _

But the dream didn't actually follow his wish. He'd wanted to go to Rikkai because of tennis, and here, he didn't play tennis. Why? Everything else was great, he was at Rikkai, if he'd played tennis here, he was sure he'd be on the team and if not a regular, he'd at least be on the team and in a position to challenge Yukimura.

On the other hand, what was stopping him from challenging Yukimura anyway? All he needed to do was find a racket.

The thought brought a smile to his face. That's right, it wasn't hopeless. He just needed to get his hands on a racket. No big deal. Then he could play against Yukimura, and maybe even Sanada. He could join the Rikkai tennis team.

"Ryoma-kun?" Katsuo spoke.

"Huh?" Ryoma asked.

"Aren't you going home? We just passed your house," Kachirou pointed towards a two storey, grey house; the kind Ryoma remembered Momo-sempai living in. It didn't have a wall surrounding it and there was no temple or a tennis court in the back. It was just like any other house, the kind he saw all around him, nothing to make it any different from the rest. The kind of boring house he would have never thought his dad would voluntarily live in.

At least there was one thing Ryoma was sure he could count on had remained the same, even if this was hell, a dream, or some twisted other reality he'd somehow ended up in. Nothing could change Echizen Nanjiroh, not even his son's hallucinations. He'd always be a perverted stupid old man.

"See you tomorrow Ryoma-kun!" Katsuo yelled after him and Kachirou settled on just waving as they ran towards their own houses. Ryoma waved back, took a deep breath and stepped towards the door.

His hand shook a little as he took hold of the door handle. Maybe it was locked? Did he have keys? Should he look for them first, or just open the door? What if it was the wrong house and he stumbled on people he knew nothing about? What if the people inside were strangers but still his family? Anything was possible in a world where he didn't play tennis. Oh god, he could be Kikumaru-sempai's little brother!

Ryoma shook his head and just decided to go for it and turned the door handle, opened the door and stepped in.

A hallway. Just a normal hallway, with a hangar for coats and a place for shoes.

Ryoma closed the door behind him, took off his shoes and, -

"Chibisuke!"

"Aaaah!" Ryoma screamed and backed against the door. He stared at his adopted brother he hadn't seen since the catastrophic cruise and tried to remember how to breathe.

"Welcome home, little brother," Ryoga grinned at him, acting like there was nothing strange about Ryoma's behaviour. "I made dinner. You hungry?"

Ryoma shook his head silently.

"Not hungry?" Ryoga sounded disbelieving. "That's a first." he shrugged. "Well aunty Rinko won't be home for another hour, we can all eat then."

"I… I'll be in my room," Ryoma said, not moving an inch.

"Well I ain't going to come and get you from upstairs when she's home, you better haul your ass downstairs all by yourself then. Got it, Chibisuke?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Ryoma said, still not moving away from the door.

With a small frown, Ryoga turned and disappeared through a doorway on the left. Ryoma finally dared to step away from the comfort of the door's solid wood and looked after Ryoga. He was in a kitchen that looked small, with western styled furniture and a few cupboards, a few kettles that had steam rising from them on the stove. Who knew Ryoga was domestic? Heck, who knew anything about Ryoga? It's not like they grew up together.

Ryoma looked ahead of him, through another doorway where Ryoma could see there was a couch, so it was obviously the living room. He was a little surprised his father wasn't there, lounging on it. Well, maybe in this weird universe his dad had gotten himself a job. And pink elephants danced in their backyard every full moon.

Ryoma turned to his right and saw a narrow staircase ahead of him. That's probably where the bedrooms were. He just hoped he'd be able to figure out which one was his.

Upstairs he found four doors. The first one turned out to be a bathroom. He smiled when he saw a row of bath salts on one of the shelves. He was going to take a very long bath tonight. All he needed now was Karupin.

Karupin.

Was Karupin here? What if he didn't have a cat here?

Ryoma's throat dried out from fear, at the thought of Karupin not being there. He could handle the tennis; he already knew how to solve that problem. Ryoga being here probably wasn't going to be as bad as he feared and Rikkai probably was a nice school to go to, even if he did slightly and only very slightly miss his sempais. But he wouldn't have seen them anyway, not after going back to America; he'd gotten over that already, but Karupin… He couldn't handle all this without Karupin.

Ryoma opened the second door next to the bathroom on the left side of the corridor, saw a double bed and a dressing table and knew it belonged to his parents. The first room on the right looked like it might have belonged to him. There were no posters on the walls, the bed was narrow, there was a potted plant on the windowsill and a closed laptop on the desk and clothes scattered on the floor and hanging form the bookshelf.

He picked up one of the shirts on the floor and figured this was Ryoga's room since the shirt was too big for him. And on the fact that he saw a few porn magazines under the bed when he picked up the shirt.

What scared him was that there were no cat hairs. Even if Ryoga had banned Karupin from his room, there'd be cat hairs in the room. They were inevitable in a house where a cat lived. His mother never stopped complaining about them.

Ryoma approached the last door feeling dread, sensing the horrible truth even before he opened the door. There would be no Karupin behind the door. He was alone in this nightmare.

His room turned out to be a little smaller than Ryoga's. There was a poster of a band Ryoma didn't recognize on the wall to his right, a few pencil sketches next to it. When he looked closer, Ryoma recognized his own signature on them.

There was closet and a bookshelf on his left, his bed was against the right wall, his desk on the left wall. There was a window opposite the door, between his bed and the desk. There were books stacked on piles under the window.

Ryoma frowned. "Why don't I get a laptop?" and slammed the door closed. "Ryoga gets a fucking computer and I don't even have Karupin."

He dropped his bag on the floor and flopped down on his bed, hoping to pass out from exhaustion, but instead something sharp poked him on the ribs. Ryoma sat up and drew his blanket aside to see what someone had- no, what he, apparently, had hidden there.

It was a leather covered brown book. It looked suspiciously like a diary. "I don't keep a diary," Ryoma mumbled and stared at the book. He opened the cover and on the first page, with decorative English letters was written, '_The diary of Echizen Ryoma_'

"Eeeh!" Ryoma shuddered and dropped the book as if it'd burned him.

He spent at least five minutes staring at it until he finally picked it up again. He turned the first few pages and read what was written there.

'_I think I'd like to have a cat. I saw a cat I wanted today, it was a long haired Himalayan, but mom said no. It was beautiful. It had the most amazing eyes. When I petted it, it started purring right away. I told mom I'd take the trash out for a whole month and do the dishes but she said she didn't want cat hairs all over the house. I bet if dad was alive he'd let me have a cat!_'

'_I bet if dad was alive he'd let me have a cat!' _

Ryoma read the sentence again and again, thinking he'd misread it. _'If dad was alive'_.

"Gotta be a mistake," Ryoma said out loud and turned to another page.

'_We went to dad's grave today. I don't remember much about him, all I remember is that we played tennis and he always laughed at me. I wish I knew more about him. Ryoga always smiles when he talks about dad, he remembers him. Mom never talks about him without crying. She can't stand to even watch tennis anymore. She started crying when I watched tennis with Ryoga.'_

'_I can't play tennis anymore, mom gets too sad. I even hid my trophy, the one I got from the tournament I won. She seems happier now when I don't play tennis.' _

Ryoma looked at the date. He'd been ten when he wrote that, eight when he'd wanted a cat.

"I always wished he'd disappear," Ryoma whispered, shutting his eyes, refusing to cry for something that wasn't even real. This wasn't real, he didn't go to school at Rikkai, Ryoga didn't live with them, Karupin was there and his dad was alive. His dad was alive and any minute now he'd throw a tennis ball against his window and shout something idiotic or his mom would yell at his stupid father to stop reading his perverted magazines and then he'd step on Karupin's tail and Karupin would scratch him and Ryoma would come and yell at his father for hurting Karupin, then his dad would send him to another date with Ryuzaki and-

He wasn't crying for that stupid pervert…

0

0

0

"Ryoma! Auntie Rinko's home!"

Ryoma rubbed his eyes dry and shoved the book back under his blanket. Slowly he got up and walked downstairs. He stopped at the kitchen doorway to look at his mother.

She wasn't the same either. The lines on her face were deeper, her shoulders hunched.

Ryoma had always thought his mother was beautiful and she still was, but something was missing. Ryoma remembered a happy twinkle, a bit of playfulness in the corner of her eye. His mother had always seemed to be smiling, even when she was scolding Ryoma or his dad.

Rinko turned her face towards Ryoma and a small smile appeared on her face, but a layer of sadness covered it. Had she really loved Nanjiroh so much? Why? He was a pervert and an annoying idiot.

"Mom?" Ryoma asked.

"Yes darling?"

"What happened to dad?" Ryoma asked and almost regretted it when she saw the pain on her face. But he had to know. There was nothing about what happened in the diary.

"You already know what happened, Ryoma," Rinko turned away from his son and focused her attention back on the shopping bag she'd been unpacking when Ryoma came downstairs.

"Mom, tell me," Ryoma pressured.

Rinko sighed and pressed her hand over her eyes. "It was a car accident. We'd lived here for only sixth months and one day when he was crossing the street a car… The driver wasn't looking and he…" Rinko took a deep breath and leaned on the kitchen table. "No, I should be able to talk about it, it's been so many years. Your father got hit by a car, he died instantaneously. There was nothing anyone could have done."

"And the driver?"

"Died in the hospital. Brain damage." Rinko took out the milk cartons from the shopping bag and without once looking at Ryoma put them to the refrigerator. When she didn't close the door or turn back to look at Ryoma, he guessed she was trying not to cry and didn't want him to see.

Ryoma left the kitchen and went to the living room where Ryoga was flipping through channels. "Yo, Chibisuke!" Ryoga grinned at him and then turned back to the TV.

So this was his family. An adoptive brother he'd apparently grown up with, but didn't know at all and their guardian was a widow who still hadn't gotten over her loss even if it must have been at least six years since her husband died. _'Shit dad, even when you're dead you're causing nothing but trouble. Fuck you for dying!' _

Sometime during reading his own diary Ryoma had forgotten that he didn't think this was real. It was too painful for it to be just a dream.

0

**Rikkai AU**

0

"Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno screamed when she saw Ryoma fall and then she was forced to close her eyes because of the blinding flash. Her eyes were watery when she opened them and she couldn't see very well, but she heard adults yelling.

"Is that kid okay? The thing, it went off professor! It was on! What if he-"

"There is no possible way! He probably just fainted from the shock, it couldn't have been-"

"Echizen-kun! Someone call an ambulance!" Sakuno recognized their teacher's voice. He sounded on the verge of panic. "What is that thing? Why is something that unstable somewhere where there are children? What is it?"

"It had nothing to do with the accident; I'm sure the boy just collapsed form the shock."

"Professor, it was activated! The kid- He could be somewhere now!"

"Don't talk nonsense, there is no way…"

Sakuno blinked and saw an older man with a beard hovering over Ryoma who lay on the floor, with an oval shape made of copper tubes and glimmering wires surrounding him. It resembled Sakuno's mother's mirror frame, except where there would have been a mirror, was nothing but air. As Sakuno watched, blue and white streaks of light moved over Ryoma's unconscious body.

"Professor did you see that? It activated when the boy was in the circle!" one of the younger men surrounding the machine said.

"I… it's not possible. So far we've only tested it on animals. Human's… Could the boy really have..?" the bearded man stumbled on his words, he seemed at the same time exhilarated and horrified.

"Who are you?" Their teacher demanded to know.

"Professor Yamata," the man answered.

"What has happened to my student?"

"I… am not sure," professor Yamata admitted, staring at Ryoma's unconscious body.


	3. Chapter 3

**Beta:** Fayah

**A/N: **This is a serious problem: Which is Kachirou and which is Katsuo? I can never remember!

Comments, critique, feedback of any kind welcomed. Especially on the Katsuo - Kachirou issue

* * *

After eating Ryoma returned to his room and took out the diary again. There had to be something in there that would help him settle in this world until he got back home. And he would get back home, there had to be a way.

But until then he could only hope he'd been more active in keeping his diary during the last few days and weeks. There was sometimes over six months without a single entry, so it was no surprise that the diary had lasted for so many years.

Out of fear of saying something wrong Ryoma had answered with just a shrug when Ryoga or his mother had asked him something during dinner. Both had seemed satisfied with that and had left him alone, but Ryoma knew he couldn't keep it up forever.

'_Math test. Passed. Club was boring.' _

"That was helpful," Ryoma mumbled. He looked for more but it was all the same, two or three words for a day. What was even the point of keeping a diary, if that was all he ever wrote there.

Finally he just decided to give up, take a long bath and wing it. He could always just glare at people if they started to get too pushy.

.

**Rikkai AU**

.

"What happened to my son?" Nanjiroh was ready to strangle the doctor if he didn't start spilling and Rinko was too upset to soothe her husband like she usually could. Nanako wasn't fairing any better.

"There was an accident at his school. We do not have the details, I'm afraid. According to the teacher some kind of experimental machinery was involved but even he doesn't seem to know any more." The doctor tried to keep his voice level, so Nanjiroh wouldn't get even more aggressive. "His condition at the moment is stable. He is able to breathe without the help of machines and there seems to be no brain damage. He could wake up at any moment."

"Then why isn't he awake," Nanjiroh growled and pointed at Ryoma who lay unconscious on the hospital bed, a monitor hooked up to him, displaying his steady heartbeats.

The doctor readied himself to face the devastation of the family when he would reveal the flipside. "It is also possible that he will never regain consciousness." Rinko's feet seemed to fall from under her and she had to steady herself on Nanjiroh, who stood frozen in place like a stone statue. "All we can do is wait and hope for the best." the doctor ended his sad news, attempted to think of something else to comfort the family, but when he could think of nothing, he left them alone with the boy.

"Oh, Ryoma-san," Nanako stepped next to Ryoma's bed and squeezed his hand in the hope that he would feel it and come back to them.

.

**Rikkai AU **

.**  
**

"Echizen!"

Ryoma twitched when he heard Horio's yell. He could run. The school was enough of a maze that it was possible to lose Horio. The only thing stopping him was the fact that he'd probably get lost himself.

"What!" He snapped and turned to glare at Horio.

"You going to join the tennis club next year?" Horio asked. "Almost all the regulars are leaving, only Kirihara-sempai's going to stay. We could both make it to the regulars!" Horio grinned.

"I haven't played in years," Ryoma gritted his teeth in aggravation.

"But you could start again! You were pretty good. Of course nowhere near my level, but you were a passable tennis player." Horio couldn't obviously say anything with out bragging about himself.

"No I couldn't," Ryoma said.

"If this is about your dad, Echizen, don't you think it's been long eno-" Horio never finished his sentence. The look Ryoma sent him would have evaporated an iceberg in a nanosecond.

"Don't say a word about my dad, Horio," Ryoma growled at Horio.

"O… Okay, Echizen, sure. I… I'm sorry, I just thought… It's been years!"

Ryoma didn't answer him. To Horio and everyone else it had been years, but for Ryoma his father had died just yesterday. He'd lost everything worth anything in his life yesterday and gained nothing of equal value in return.

"Just don't mention it ever again," Ryoma told him.

"Tennis or your…"

"Neither," Ryoma answered.

"Fine," Horio said but didn't disappear like Ryoma had wished. "So, seen Ryuzaki-chan today?"

In this universe too? There was no need for his dad! Horio seemed more than capable of creating a fictional relationship between him and Sakuno.

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**Rikkai AU **

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"Echizen-san," the nurse placed her hand on Nanjiroh's shoulder and spoke in a hushed voice, her compassionate gaze sliding towards Rinko and Nanako who sat on the other side of the unconscious boy's bed. "There are people who wish to speak with you in the waiting area."

Nanjiroh looked at Rinko from across the bed, and she nodded silently before turning her eyes back to her son. They had spent the night there, Rinko calling her work, explaining the situation. She couldn't have worked now and nearly without having to ask, she had been given a month long vacation.

"I'll bring you some tea. The both of you," Nanjiroh said and stood up.

"I can go and get tea for all of us," Nanako said and stood up too.

"No, you sit down. I'll bring it once I know what those people want," Nanjiroh insisted and Nanako sat back down. She had already done more than enough, in Nanjiroh's mind. Yesterday when Nanjiroh and Rinko had decided to stay at the hospital, she had returned to their house, taken care of Karupin and brought a change of clothes for both of them and returned today once her classes were over.

At the door, Nanjiroh looked back at his son. Ryoma looked peaceful; there wasn't a frown or a smile on his face. It wasn't like his son at all. Ryoma never slept peacefully, not even when he was toddler. Always fussing, kicking his covers, face showing a multitude range of emotions that it never did when he was awake. Ryoma had always been more expressive while sleeping.

There were two unfamiliar men waiting for him. The other one was dressed in a brown suit that looked worn and had oval glasses. He bowed at Nanjiroh and introduced himself. "Echizen-san, I am Yukimoto Kaii, Echizen-kun's teacher. I was present yesterday during the accident." Nanjiroh bowed back, eyes on the other man, bearded and much older. "And this is professor Yamata. His machinery was involved in your son's accident. He claims that he can help Echizen-kun."

"Help? Is he a doctor?" Nanjiroh asked. "And what machinery? What happened to my son?" Nanjiroh nearly yelled. All they'd heard yesterday was that Ryoma had collapsed. They had been too worried about Ryoma to look for answers and no one had provided them voluntarily.

"Echizen-san, I am sorry for what has happened to your son, but it was an accident," professor Yamata said. "The machinery Yukimoto-san keeps referring to is the pinnacle of my lives work, the result of years of research and sleepless nights. It shall change the way we see the universe once unveiled to the world."

"It put my son in to a coma!" Nanjiroh yelled and took a step towards the man, fists raised.

"Echizen-san, please, listen to him! Perhaps he really does have a cure for your son!" The teacher pleaded, stepping between the other two men.

"Your son is not sick, Echizen-san, or harmed in any way," professor Yamata claimed. "I have come to the conclusion that he is merely travelling."

"Travelling?" Nanjiroh barked. "My son is lying there," he pointed behind him "unconscious, in a coma, from which, the doctors have said, he may never wake up from! And you are telling me that he's travelling! Who is this man?" Nanjiroh demanded from the teacher. "Did you bring him here from a mental institution?"

The teacher was also staring at the professor as he was insane. "He is a professor," Yukimoto said. "I checked his credentials, he does work in an institution that does advanced research in areas that concern…" his voice faded. "He researches parallel universes Echizen-san!" The teacher finally shouted, enthusiastic.

"Parallel universes?" Nanjiroh asked. "You mean my son could be…"

"In an alternate universe, Echizen-san. First human to have ever travelled between the worlds," professor Yamato announced in a proud voice.

For a moment all Nanjiroh could do was stare wide eyed at the man, and when his brains had finally processed the words, he yelled "That is not a good thing. If that is true, bring him back. You sent him there, you can bring him back!"

The professor coughed, his fist covering his mouth. "Unfortunately, that is a little more difficult. We do not know _where_ he has gone to, you see, so we can not simply bring him back."

"Find a way!"

"Of course, of course," the professor hurried to convince Nanjiroh, hands patting the air before him in a placating manner. "I have already begun the calculations and many of my colleagues are assisting me. It is only a matter of time before we pinpoint your son's exact location and we will be able to return him here, to his body."

"So he's somewhere out there, in an alternate universe flying around without his body!" Nanjiroh yelled. "He can't play tennis without his body. My poor boy!" Nanjiroh nearly wept at the concept of no tennis. It horrified him.

"Is that really what worries you about this, Echizen-san? That your son might not be able to play tennis?" Yukimoto asked.

"Echizen not being able to play tennis? That'd be like a nightmare to him!" Nanjiroh turned to see who had yelled out the obvious truth and saw a group of teens, his son's team mates on Seigaku's tennis team. The one who had yelled seemed to be a tall boy with spiky hair. Nanjiroh couldn't remember his exact name, but knew it had something to do with peaches.

"More like hell, fshuu," another boy who seemed to be slumping said.

_The snake dude_, Nanjiroh thought.

"That's what I said, mamushi!"

Nanjiroh was expecting a fight to break out between the two, but just then another one of the kid's team mates rushed between them and hushed them both. "You two, remember we're at the hospital to see Echizen. And this man in front of who you're behaving immaturely is his father," a boy whose head-shape reminded Nanjiroh of an egg, spoke.

"Oh, Echizen-kun can play tennis. I mean he has a body," professor Yamato said.

"Thank the gods!" Nanjiroh shouted and placed his hands on his chest with sincere gratitude towards anyone who watched over his son.

"I thought O'chibi was in a coma? How can he play tennis if he's in a coma?" a redheaded boy asked. Kikumaru, Nanjiroh thought. His son had sometimes grumbled about his Kikumaru-sempai with the deadly glomps. "Oishi, nya, you said he was in a coma. He's awake! O'chibi's awake!" Kikumaru grinned and rushed towards the corridor behind Nanjiroh but the boy whom had calmed down the fight between the other two boys stopped him by shouting,

"Eiji wait! You can't just rush in to someone's hospital room! You don't even know what room he's in!"

"But Oishi, I wanna see O'chibi!" Kikumaru pouted at the boy Nanjiroh had decided was Oishi.

"Unfortunately Echizen-kun is still in a coma," Yukimoto told the boys.

"Yukimoto-sensei," Ryoma's captain, Tezuka greeted his former teacher and bowed. The other boys followed his example, bowed and murmured their greetings.

"Not in a coma, Yukimoto-san. Simply residing in an alternate universe," professor Yamato corrected the teacher.

"How does that work?" Nanjiroh asked. "Because his body's still here. Did the machine create a body for him?"

"Of course not!" Yamato laughed. "That's a ridiculous concept! Simply laughable!"

Nanjiroh twitched, and fisted his hand. He still hadn't abandoned the possibility that knocking out Yamato might bring Ryoma back and return everything back to normal. At least it'd make him feel a whole lot better.

"He has simply taken over the body of the Echizen-kun that lives in that particular universe. We made many experiments on it with animals and though the results varied much, depending on the universe, that was the one constant. The body of the subject was never transported, nor did it ever attain any damage. The subject simply transformed to the body of its counterpart in that universe. The only times this did not work was when there was no body for the subject to teleport to. The cause in those cases was always immediate loss of life."

"What if Ryoma is in one of those worlds, where he has no body?" Nanjiroh shouted, ready to punch the professor.

"If that was the case, Echizen-kun would be dead now," the professor hurried to explain. "And he is alive and his vital sings are stable, are they not? A clear sign of a successful travel."

"Echizen-kun has travelled through your machine, uncle-Yamato?" Inui asked suddenly and snapped open his notebook. He started flipping through pages and murmuring to himself. "This is good data, the first human to ever have reportedly travelled through time and space."

"Ah Sadaharu, you're here?" The professor smiled jovially at Inui and then returned his focus on Nanjiroh. "My nephew might have more answers for you. He has been studying my creation for the past month. It is why it was temporarily at your son's school. I was taking it back to my laboratory when the accident occurred."

Nanjiroh turned to stare at the boy who would soon be a high school freshman. A kid, studying complex stuff like travel between alternate universes. Impossible! Or the professor was just an idiot who allowed anyone to poke at his machine.

Inui was busy scribbling on his note book, grinning idiotically and murmuring words like 'good data' and 'excellent' to take any notice on his surroundings. Therefore he did not see Tezuka stepping to stand in front of him. Inui froze when Tezuka took his notebook and closed it with a loud 'SMACK'.

"Inui, concentrate. We must return Echizen." Tezuka told him.

"Of course Tezuka," Inui pushed up his glasses. "I apologize, I got carried away."

"It's alright Inui, we understand you're a bit different," Fuji smiled at him. "Just get him back. After all, you should always clean up your own mess. And this is your mess. Without you the horrid thing wouldn't even have been in Seigaku."

"Of course," Inui gulped at seeing Fuji's smile and the promise of infinite pain and torment in the tennis genius's blue eyes, should he fail.

"We know you'll do your best, Inui," Kawamura patted Inui's shoulder and smiled encouragingly at him.

.

**Rikkai AU**

.

Ryoma took out his schedule and wondered if they'd had any homework for math, and if the teacher asked him for it, if he'd done it. He hoped he always did his homework. Otherwise he needed to have a little talk with himself about getting him into trouble with the teacher.

His eyes were on the piece of paper as he walked so he didn't notice the older boy walking towards him. He nearly fell when they bumped in to each other. "Watch it!" Ryoma snapped, not bothering to look who he'd run in to and headed for his class hoping he wasn't late.

Sanada frowned at the rude freshman's back. It was the other boy's fault, he should have apologized. More importantly, Sanada was his sempai. Freshmen should be polite to those older than them. He decided to keep the boy's face in mind.

0

0

After his classes Ryoma went to watch tennis practice. There was less of a crowd today, but Ryoma figured there was at least ten people there, among them Tomoka, who wasn't squealing today and looked depressed. The reason for that was easy to figure out; Kirihara wasn't anywhere to be seen. Probably hiding from Tomoka, either inside the club house, or somewhere around a corner. Ryoma didn't blame him.

Yanagi was playing against a boy Ryoma didn't recognize and he saw right away that even though the other boy was taking the game seriously, Yanagi was just using the match as a warm up. And winning. Ryoma knew he would have made Yanagi play seriously. He could've won.

"You gonna join?"

Ryoma looked at his right at Niou who grinned at him. He was leaning against a tree, hands in his pockets, a lazy grin on his face. "No," Ryoma said and turned back to the courts.

"'Cause you look like you wanna play," Niou said.

"I don't play tennis," Ryoma gritted between his teeth. There wasn't anything worth watching. So he went home.

0

0

When Ryoma came home, he was assaulted.

"Chibisuke!" Ryoga yelled and tucked Ryoma in to a protective, crushing hug. "You didn't come home straight from school? Why? What happened? Was someone bullying you, did they hit you, are you alright? What's wrong, why are you hitting me?"

If Ryoma could have talked, he would've said he was hitting Ryoga because he couldn't breath with his nose and mouth pressed against Ryoga's chest. But he couldn't, because Ryoga was apparently trying to kill him!

He finally managed to push Ryoga off him. "I'm fine," Ryoma glared at his brother. "You're acting like I never go anywhere," he muttered.

"But… you don't," Ryoga said, looking confused. "Unless Ryuzaki comes to pick you up, and forces you to go with her. She's a nice girl and I know you've been friends with her for ages because dad knew her grandmother but I still think it's weird your best friend's a girl."

"Not your business who I hang around with," Ryoma said. Then it hit him. "Ryuzaki's my best friend?"

"Fine, sorry, I won't talk about it anymore," Ryoga said, thinking Ryoma had made a statement, not asked a question. "Auntie said she wants to make dinner, so we'll have to wait for her to get back before we can eat. But I won't tell her if you wanna grab an orange."

"Che, I don't like oranges."

"Whaat? So far it's been the only fruit you eat!"

Ryoma gulped. "I can change my mind if I want," he snapped and walked pass Ryoga to the kitchen and opened the fridge door. "Where's the Ponta?" he asked.

"Ponta? Why would we have that? You always say sodas are full of crap that's bad for you."

"Well now I want Ponta," Ryoma closed the fridge and wondered just how messed up was he in this reality. No tennis, no Ponta and Ryuzaki was his best friend.

"You're acting really weird, Chibisuke. You got a fever?" Ryoga came over to feel his forehead and Ryoma jumped. "You don't feel warm," Ryoga frowned and Ryoma couldn't have said anything even if he'd thought of anything to say. He was too shocked to see the genuine worry on Ryoga's face.

Ryoga had never been anything but fuzzy memories, a near stranger he'd briefly met on a cruise that'd turned into a catastrophe. He hadn't spoken about Ryoga with his father; never saw the need for it. Truthfully he'd almost forgotten the older boy once back home. There was too much to think about; the Nationals, beating Tezuka and his father, returning to America.

But here Ryoga had never left but stayed with the family and Ryoma couldn't help but wonder was the reason for his staying and his father's death connected. Maybe it had been Nanjiroh who had caused Ryoga to leave, or Nanjiroh's death had made Ryoga take responsibility of the family that had taken him as one of its members.

Ryoma wondered what it would have been like to grow up with a big brother.

"When's mom coming home again?" he asked.

"In a few hours, remember? I just told you. You sure you ain't sick?"

"I'm fine," Ryoma stepped back so Ryoga wouldn't try to feel his forehead again. "Just wondered if…"

"What?" Ryoga asked.

Ryoma swallowed. It was still hard for him to believe. "Can you tell me about dad, when he was still… when he was alive…" Maybe Ryoga would tell something about the two of them too and Ryoma would find out what it would have been like to have grown up with an older brother.

"Sure," Ryoga grinned like it was a request Ryoma made every day. And who knows, maybe he did.


	4. Chapter 4

**Beta:** Fayah

**A/N: **For some odd reason, I have the impression that my sarcasm is not appreciated by a certain someone. Well, such is life. Comments, opinions, critique and yes, even condescending reviews are welcomed and loved. But please, refrain from sending similar PMs, when you know I can't reply.

* * *

When Ryoma woke up the next day, he was feeling a little better. From what Ryoga had told him last night, his father hadn't been any different than the way Ryoma knew. It helped, knowing that even if his father was no longer there, he would've still been the same immature pervert Ryoma knew.

And Ryoga… wasn't really all that bad once you got to know him. He acted like a strange mix of Momo-sempai and Kikumaru-sempai, but maybe that was just the way big brothers acted? It almost made him wish Ryoga had always been a part of his life.

And then he saw there was no toast left. _Che, siblings! A pain in the ass._

He went to school hungry and got even more irritated when Horio was the first person he saw that morning. It didn't matter what universe it was, Horio continued to be annoying in any reality. All he had to do was grin and yell, "Echizen!" in that screeching voice.

"You going to come and watch the practice again today?" Horio asked, and Ryoma frowned at what the question implied. Was it really that obvious, his interest in the Rikkai tennis team and their captain that even Horio commented on it?

Well what he'd read from his own diary and heard from others, he hadn't shown any interest in tennis for years, and for him to go now and follow the tennis practice everyday, must draw attention from those who had known him for years.

"Ryoma-kun has art club today," a soft voice spoke from behind them, and when Ryoma turned he saw Ryuzaki Sakuno, with a bright smile on her face.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you have club today Sakuno-chan," Horio grinned at her, and Sakuno's smile wavered a little at Horio's obviously love stricken expression. Ryoma couldn't have explained why he did it, but he smacked Horio's head, when he saw the grin.

"Oi, Echizen, why do you always hit me when I try to talk to Sakuno-chan?" Horio whined.

"Because you look like a lecher," Ryoma answered, and nearly jumped when Sakuno hooked their arms.

"Let's go to class Ryoma-kun," she said. "I can take care of myself, Ryoma-kun," Sakuno blushed when she said that, and Ryoma was relieved that there was something familiar about this Sakuno after all. "You don't always have to protect me."

"I don't do it to protect you, he just annoys me," Ryoma told her the truth.

"You always say that Ryoma-kun," she smiled and turned in to an even deeper shade of red.

Ryoma sighed. He'd been telling the truth, but somehow he got the impression Sakuno didn't believe him. Just what were they to each other?

0

0

At the end of the day when he left class, Sakuno was waiting for him outside the classroom. When Ryoma raised a questioning eyebrow, she said, "We have art club, Ryoma-kun."

"You go ahead, I'll catch up," Ryoma said.

"Where are you going?" Sakuno asked.

"To the bathroom. Wanna follow me?" he shouted while walking away.

"The bathrooms are this way, Ryoma-kun," Sakuno spoke with a subdued voice, when Ryoma had disappeared behind a corner. She sighed and went to art club. On her way she came up with an excuse as to why Ryoma was going to miss art-club. Again.

0

0

He stood next to the courts, looked through the links on the fence and watched practice. There was nothing of interest for him to watch, the club members were just warming up. He'd just decided on leaving, already had one foot in the air, his body turned sideways, when two figures he recognized approached a court. Both were opponents he'd faced and won. Rivals against he wanted to play again.

Kirihara and Sanada faced each other, the younger boy's face in an eager grin, licking his lips and snickering like a demon who'd caught a scent of blood. Sanada faced his kouhai with a stern and overconfident face, the same he'd shown to Ryoma when they'd played. _'You shall not beat me. It is futile for you to even consider the possibility.'_ How Ryoma had wanted to smash that confidence. And he had succeeded. Now he needed to see if Kirihara could do the same.

The first serve. It flew by Kirihara. So did the second one, but he caught the third and got a point from Sanada. The ball flew so quickly Ryoma knew he was one of the few who could follow it. He felt his heart pounding, knew a smile was on his face. He was gripping the wire of the fence so hard it numbed his fingers, but he didn't even remember lifting his hand to it. He felt cold sweat trickling down his spine, shivers through out his body. It was like watching two monsters at war, and he felt his own heart roar a call for battle.

"You have a good look in your eyes," a voice whispered next to his ear, and Ryoma felt a warm breath brush against his cheek. The words made his heart skip a beat, they were the same Yukimura had told him once before. He turned and saw the smile on Yukimura's face. That too was the same as before.

He turned back to look at the game but couldn't focus on it anymore, because his face was burning. _Damnit, I bet my face is as red as Sakuno's,_ he pursed his lips together and refused to look at Yukimura who was _by the way standing creepily close!_ "What do you want?" he asked.

"Hmm, nothing. I'm just taking a break," Yukimura told him and turned his eyes on the game as well. "This is an important game. Not just for Akaya and the juniors who'll be staying, but for us seniors too. So we can see if Akaya is ready to lead you once we're gone."

"Why're you telling me-" _Wait, you?, _"Why're you including me in there? I don't play tennis." Ryoma turned to look at Yukimura, his forehead creased.

"Oh," Yukimura looked surprised. "You aren't going to join? I remember you played once, Ryoma-kun."

"Who said you could call me that?" Ryoma snapped.

"I'm sorry, maybe you'd prefer Echi-kun?"

Ryoma twitched. Yukimura was… weird… Somehow Ryoma knew that if he didn't consent to _'Ryoma-kun',_ he'd be called _'Echi-kun'_ by half the school, come tomorrow morning. "No, its fine," he mumbled.

"You really aren't going to join, are you?" Yukimura asked after a stretched silence. Both had their eyes on the game and neither took their eyes off it as Yukimura continued to speak. "Why? I remember the first time I saw you play. You had such determination, so much hunger for victory. Why would anyone abandon something like that? You were more alive on the tennis court than I've ever seen anyone else."

"I…" Ryoma hesitated. Why was he even considering telling Yukimura anything? And it wasn't like it'd be the truth. Ryoma was answering a question about the actions of someone else. Sure it was _him_, but it wasn't like it was really _him. _

Ryoma pressed his hand over his eyes. All this was getting too confusing. He had to stop thinking that it was someone other than him that had been living this life. It was him. He might never again see his father; he might finish his junior high in Rikkai, never play tennis again. He couldn't play tennis, knowing what it would do to his mother. And as different as she may have been, she was still his mother and Ryoga his brother. He needed to accept that what he had now was his life.

"It'd break mum's heart," Ryoma finally said. "Yukimura-sempai."

Ryoma couldn't see it, but Yukimura's eyes widened at his words, or perhaps it was the resigned tone in which the boy spoke that moved Yukimura's heart. He lifted his hand and would have laid it on Ryoma's shoulder had the boy not suddenly gasped, "Rai."

Yukimura stared at the boy in astonishment. Hardly anyone knew of that technique. How could this boy that had no connection to any of them know of its name? Rai was a technique Sanada had sealed off in order to defeat Tezuka Kunimitsu, a rival he had yet to face. It was a shock that he would use it against Akaya, but even more shocking was the fact that this boy, Echizen Ryoma knew of its name.

"How do you know that?" Yukimura asked, his voice now full of suspicion based, not on facts, or even his feelings, but years of chasing off spies from other schools wanting to learn their techniques. It was futile of course. Even with the knowledge they could not match up to their skill level, but still some fools tried.

The boy did not seem fazed by the question, or his suddenly cold demeanour. He simply gave Yukimura a sideway glance, lips turned upwards into a sly smirk. "That's a secret," the boy answered, but his eyes flashed in Horio's direction. The glance was quick, but enough for Yukimura to notice and make the connection. He sighed in relief, and wondered in passing why he felt so relieved that there was an easy answer.

Ryoma held in a sigh of relief. He couldn't believe he'd spoken out loud, and in front of Yukimura no less. Had it been anyone else Ryoma was sure he could've pretended like he'd said nothing, but when it was Yukimura… He couldn't risk it. He knew too little about the other boy.

They watched the rest of the game together, but Ryoma had long since lost interest in the match. Kirihara had improved, but he was still far from catching up to the three demons of Rikkai. A fact the youngest regular in Rikkai didn't take too well.

When the score had been announced, Kirihara, panting, covered in sweat; his eyes bloodshot, screamed out and threw his racket on the ground and stormed off the court. Sanada stood where he was, looking after Kirihara's retreating back.

Ryoma glanced at Yukimura whose smile still hadn't faltered. He frowned. Wasn't Yukimura at all worried about Kirihara's childish behaviour?

Suddenly Kirihara stopped and turned back. He marched up to Sanada and stood in front of him, still panting, looking like a demon from hell. Ryoma thought it possible Rikkai would either loose their vice-captain, or soon to be captain, yet Yukimura still kept on smiling.

"Thank you Sanada-san," Kirihara spoke and Ryoma choked on air.

The players clasped hands, and Yukimura looked at Ryoma as if expecting him to share his joy.

Ryoma frowned and turned back to look at Sanada and Kirihara. That wasn't the scene he should have been looking at. He shouldn't have been just an observer, either. It should have been a match between him and Tezuka, Ryoma should have been the one to smile at his captain. It should have been him and Tezuka shaking hands, Tezuka leaving the future to him.

But even if he'd been at home now, that wasn't what the future would have been like, because Ryoma wasn't staying. By now his mom would have already left for America to prepare for when Ryoma and his father would arrive at the end of the school-year. If his father had had his way, Ryoma wouldn't have even finished his first year in Seigaku, since he was going to start school right away when they got back to America, but his mom had insisted Ryoma stay till the end of the school year. She probably thought Ryoma wanted the extra time to say goodbye to his friends.

His mom had always been too emotional for Ryoma. He'd already said goodbye to his seniors in his own way. Winning the Nationals was a memory they would share forever, Ryoma didn't need sappy farewells. And he sure as hell wasn't going to miss Kikumaru-sempai's glomps, or Momo-sempai's head locks, handing Kawamura-sempai his racket, Oishi-sempai worrying over him, Inui-sempai's training schedules, Kaidoh-sempai's glares, Fuji-sempai's creepiness-

He missed them.

"What's wrong?" Yukimura asked, worried suddenly as Ryoma's face darkened and his shoulders drooped down.

Most of all Ryoma missed Tezuka's stern, approving presence. It gave him strength in a way nothing else, no one else's encouraging words could. He knew that without Tezuka he wouldn't be what he was today. "Buchou," Ryoma sighed longingly as he stared at the two players on the court, strengthening their bond of sempai and kouhai.

"Yes?" Yukimura asked.

"What?" Ryoma turned to frown at Yukimura.

"You called me."

"No I didn't." Ryoma argued.

"Yes you did. You said buchou. I'm the buchou," Yukimura argued back with a no nonsense tone.

"No you're not," Ryoma scoffed.

"But I am," Yukimura felt his smile twitch slightly. This kid had a knack for getting on his nerves.

"No you're not my-" Ryoma cut himself off and turned away. He huffed and started to leave but was stopped when Yukimura took hold of his arm.

"I could be," he said.

"You don't know what I was going to say," Ryoma glared at the older boy and when all he got as an answer was a cheerful smile, Ryoma didn't know how to react.

"Don't you think it would be nice, to be part of a team? Belong somewhere?" Yukimura asked, only making Ryoma's frown deepen.

He was already a part of a team, already belonged somewhere, to Seigaku. They'd needed him and he'd been there for them. To join Rikkai's tennis team, to call Yukimura Buchou would be like mocking the bonds he'd created with his sempais.

Ryoma watched as the team surrounded Kirihara, and his sempais patted him on the back, or ruffled his hair. He saw himself in Kirihara's place, replaced Niou with Momo-sempai and Marui with Kikumaru. It wasn't fair he was alone.

"Is it because of your father that you won't join?" Yukimura asked and Ryoma stiffened. He yanked his arm form Yukimura's grasp and would've walked away, if someone hadn't been standing right behind him. So instead Ryoma walked straight into their chest.

"Are you trying to scare this boy," Yanagi asked. "Seichii?"

"Renji," Yukimura beamed. "Did you watch Genichirou and Akaya-kun's match?" While he was talking to Yanagi, Yukimura wound his arm around Ryoma and drew the boy against him, so his back was pressed against Yukimura's chest.

"Get off," Ryoma scowled, but Yukimura decided to ignore him.

"I did, and-"

"Ouch!"

"Seichii?"

"I'm fine," Yukimura smiled while wincing. Ryoma had stepped on his foot. Hard.

Ryoma stepped away from between the two, declared, "You're creepy," and left without once looking back

"Interesting, isn't he?" Yukimura asked, smiling after the boy.

Yanagi didn't comment, and they returned to the courts where Yukimura limped to where Horio was practicing his swings.

The freshman twitched and glanced at his buchou who just stood there, smiling. Yukimura-buchou was almost always smiling and when he wasn't, Horio usually made sure he was very busy, somewhere else. Not that a smiling Yukimura-buchou standing next to you was much better.

Horio admired and respected his captain, but usually he preferred to do the admiring and respecting from a safe distance.

"Horio-kun," Yukimura said. "You are friends with Ryoma-kun, aren't you?"

"Ha, Ryoma-kun?" Horio asked, and had to think for a while before he realized who Yukimura was talking about. "Oh, you mean Echizen! Yeah, we've been friends forever! Best friends! Always do everything together! Except tennis of course! He doesn't play tennis anymore because his father died, and it's too bad since he was pretty good, almost as good as me!"

Yukimura stared at the boy and wondered if Ryoma was really that bad of a tennis player. He found it hard to believe the boy had lost so much of his talent from when Yukimura had last seen him play.

"But what is he like?" Yukimura asked.

"Echizen?" Horio shrugged. "Antisocial," was all Horio said.

"Aah…" Yukimura had been hoping for a little more information, like what was the boy's favourite food, what kind of books he read, did he read, listen to music, what colour his underwear was. The usual. That the boy was antisocial, that Yukimura had learned by himself. "But Horio-kun, even if Ryoma-kun is a good friend of yours, you shouldn't tell people that aren't part of the club about Sanada's Rai-shot."

"The what now?" Horio asked and then remembered to add, "Yukimura-buchou."

"Rai. You don't know of it?"

"Sorry Yukimura-buchou," Horio's shoulders slumped. "Should I? Is it important?"

"No, it's nothing, Horio-kun. Keep practicing," he smiled at Horio who hesitantly started swinging his racket again.

If Horio hadn't told the boy about Rai, how had he known about it? It was always a possibility that the boy had been there earlier, following their practice, but Yukimura did not believe that. He was sure he would have noticed the boy.

The other obvious possibility was that Sanada had told the boy of his shot, and that would indicate a relationship of deep trust between the two and Sanada wasn't likely to have an intimate, trusting relationship with a younger boy who didn't even play tennis.

Then again, the boy could be interested in Sanada and had made it a mission of his to gather all possible information about Sanada. Yukimura could certainly see the appeal, Sanada wasn't bad to look at, even if his conversation skills were lacking. And the fact that he never smiled. And had a tendency towards violence. And had really no sense of humour at all.

It just didn't make any sense. Why would the boy obsess over Sanada, when Yukimura knew he was a much more fascinating character?

0

0

It was desperate, Ryoma knew, but he couldn't help it. He had to see them. They had to be the same, unchanged, even if he hadn't been there. Everything couldn't be affected.

He'd almost been at home when it struck him. The loneliness, an empty feeling inside him.

Nothing familiar waited for him in that house. Ryoga, his brother, was a stranger to him. His mother was so different she might as well been a stranger. His father was… dead and there was no Karupin. Nothing that made him think of home was inside the house that was meant to be home.

He took a train as close to the place he could get and walked the rest of the way. Warmth filled him once he saw the familiar sign, 'Kawamura Sushi'. He couldn't help the smile of relief.

Hesitantly he slid open the door and stepped in. The man behind the counter was familiar, and Ryoma nearly greeted him by his name, but managed to stop himself just in time.

In a daze he sat by the counter and placed his order. The man made his food, gave it to him and yelled, "Takeshi, you done piling those boxes yet?"

"Soon dad!" Ryoma's heart skipped a beat when he recognized the voice and he hid his face by staring at his food. _Taka-sempai. _

"Hello Kawamura-san!" _Momo-sempai!_

"Momoshiro! And Kikumaru, Kaidoh, Fuji… Did you all come?" Kawamura's father asked.

"Everyone but Tezuka. He's in Kiyushuu now," Oishi answered.

"Oh, I heard about his arm from Takeshi. Any news?"

"The arm has already healed, but Tezuka is there visiting friends," Oishi came to stand next to Ryoma, and the boy was having trouble not to turn and look at his sempai and… hug him! "We went to watch their games at the Nationals, they made it to the finals and faced Rikkai. They lost, of course, but they're all great players! They had a first year on their team and he was as good as Tezuka!"

"And that's saying something then, isn't it?" Ryoma stole a glance and saw that the older Kawamura was amused by Oishi's enthusiasm. Ryoma thought it was wrong for Oishi to be so happy about another team's success in the Nationals, not about his own team _winning_ it.

"But I wish we'd gotten in to the Nationals," Oishi sighed. "It would have been great to be there!"

"Hyoutei took our place and lost to Rikkai," Momo said from somewhere behind Ryoma. "You think we would've even stood a chance against Rikkai? You saw them! They're way above us in every way!"

_Pathetic!_ Ryoma wanted scream and yell at them. It didn't sound like Momo-sempai at all, to admit someone was better than him so easily.

"Perhaps, but I would have liked to have a chance to play against Renji," Inui spoke out loud. "And I do not think we would have faired as badly as you seem to think, Momo."

"Eeeh, really?" Momo shouted.

"I have collected data," Ryoma turned to look behind him and saw Inui take out his notebook. "On Rikkai Dai's players and I have all of your," there was a cough from Fuji. "Well, most of your data, and I have concluded that we might have been able to win some of the games. But not necessarily the whole match."

"Nya, that's cool Inui!" Kikumaru yelled and apparently decided it was a reason to glomp Oishi. Ryoma almost wished Kikumaru-sempai would glomp him…

None of them seemed unhappy, they were content with the way things were. They weren't depressed that they'd missed the Nationals. Why should they, it was just a middle school competition, after all.

But then Ryoma's eyes locked with Kaidoh's. There was bitter disappointment on the older boys face as he watched Inui speak about the possibilities of their winning against Rikkai, hunger for victory.

Ryoma looked at his sempais again, more thoroughly this time. They were all disappointed, but all were hiding it for the sake of others. They'd wanted to win. With Ryoma, they would have.

He looked down to his right and saw Oishi's tennis bag on the floor, a tennis racket sticking out of it. He didn't miss just tennis, he missed his sempais too.

0

0

"Wasn't that a Rikkai student?" Fuji asked when Ryoma had left.

"Huh?" Momo asked.

"The kid that just left. He had a Rikkai uniform," Kaidoh said.

"Why would someone from Rikkai come all the way here for sushi?" Momo snorted.

"Burning! Kawamura's sushi is the best sushi you'll ever eat! Ora, ora, oraaa!"

"Who gave Taka-san a racket?"

"Fu, fu, fu."

"Fujiko!"

"It wasn't me."

"No one else but you ever gives Taka-san a racket, Fuji!"

"Greato! Kawamura sushi burniiiing! "


	5. Chapter 5

**Beta:** Fayah

**A/N: **Comments, critique and the like, all welcomed and appreciated.

* * *

"We have finished our calculations," professor Yamato, who was standing next to Inui, spoke to his audience, Ryoma's parents, Nanako and the Seigaku regulars that were all gathered around Ryoma's hospital bed. "And we have concluded that…" Professor Yamato coughed, flipped through the papers in his arms, scratched his beard and looked at Inui. "That…" his eyes went to his audience, nervous at the eager eyes, all focused on him.

"Inui," Tezuka said, his tone demanding action.

"The calculations have limited our options. From the machines settings we were able to narrow the possibilities down to thousand."

Shocked silence followed Inui's words. No one could think of anything to say.

Rinko began sobbing quietly.

"A thousand!" Nanjiroh yelled. "I want my son back!"

"There were millions of possibilities, to narrow it down to a mere thousand is-" professor Yamato began explaining only to be cut off by Tezuka.

"Not good enough. Fix it, Inui."

"There is a possibility to narrow them down," Yamato spoke up again and captured everyone's attention. "But there is a risk involved."

"What ever it is, we'll do it for O'chibi!" Kikumaru yelled, getting nods from his friends.

"Very well, I will need a volunteer that is willing to travel," Yamato said.

"I've always wanted to see new and exciting places," Fuji said, smiling.

"You do understand that he is talking about travelling to parallel universes with the help of an un-tested machine, Fuji?" Inui asked.

"What could be more exciting than visiting a parallel universe?" Fuji answered. "And it worked well enough for Echizen."

"Fujiko, are you sure?" Kawamura asked. "It's dangerous. And even if nothing goes wrong, how are you going to find Echizen and know it's him? Really him."

"Simple, I'm going with him," Nanjiroh said.

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Yamato interrupted. "We cannot send two people at the same time, the machine is not equipped for that. It can only take one person at a time, and even then there is a risk that something might go wrong. It has not been properly tested for humans, there might be side effects, radiation, heart failure, brain damage-"

"You mean my son could end up as a vegetable when he gets back?" Nanjiroh yelled, and Yamato very wisely did not correct the 'when' to 'if'.

"That is a possibility," Yamato answered and pondered if now would be a good time to run, as Nanjiroh's face darkened.

"So when do we start?" Fuji asked, eagerly grinning.

"Mou, Fuji. I think you're a bit too eager for this," Kikumaru pointed out.

.

**Rikkai AU**

.

Yukimura stared at the different paintings and drawings hanging on the walls of the class-room the art club used, and tried to pick out the ones that had been drawn by Ryoma without looking at the signatures.

It was a game he'd been playing for almost half an hour and he'd only managed to find two. One was a watercolour of a Himalayan cat and the other a pencil portrait of a man whose features looked blurred, like he was someone out of a dream, not a real person.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Ryoma-kun!" a girl shouted, sounding almost terrified at how disrespectful the boy was.

Yukimura turned to look at the pair standing by the classroom door and smiled at them, though his eyes narrowed when he saw the girl. He hadn't heard that the boy was dating. "I was just looking at the drawings. They're very good, especially this one," Yukimura turned back to the pencil drawing of the man and soon Ryoma was standing next to him. "Who is it?" Yukimura asked, turning to look at Ryoma, expecting a scowl or a yell that it was none of his business.

But the boy was looking at the painting with a confused frown, like he didn't know the answer. He bit his lip, took hold of the bottom of the paper and pulled it down so he could get a better look.

When recognition flashed in the boy's eyes, shock and horror soon followed and the paper was torn apart in to tiny little pieces. "It's no one," the boy answered, his voice harsh.

"Ryoma-kun, why did you do that? That's a picture of -"

"Shut up, Ryuzaki!" Ryoma yelled, not looking at the girl. He let the pieces of ripped paper fall on the floor and stormed out of the classroom past the other students coming in.

The girl stared after him, her lips parted, hurt and disbelieving. "He's… He's never… He…" she stammered, lost for words.

"Not himself?" Yukimura suggested softly and the girl turned to him, her lips trembling.

"What would you know?" she asked, nearly crying and then followed the boy's example and stormed out of the classroom.

Yukimura picked up the torn pieces of paper and stared at the pencil strokes on the paper, trying to remember what the man in the portrait had looked like. As vague as his features had been, there was still something hauntingly familiar in them.

Yukimura looked more closely at the piece where one eye and the corner of the mouth were showing. There was more detail in the eyes, something familiar in the way they were narrowed. The look in them was challenging and mocking at the same time. Amused and certain Yukimura could never rise to the level that would make the man take him seriously.

"Well aren't you a charmer," Yukimura murmured and placed the torn pieces of paper into his uniform pockets and left the class-room before the teacher arrived.

.

**Rikkai AU**

.

"Ready Fuji?" Inui asked from the other boy who was standing in front of a strange, oval shaped ring that's surface glittered with flashing lights, small lightning bolts that's colours varied from pure white to deep blue.

"I just step through this and I'm in another universe?" Fuji asked, though they had gone over it at least a dozen times already.

"Yes, and when you wish to return, just step through it again," Inui said from his place beside a small desk of to the side.

They were in an empty classroom at school, the machine that had caused Ryoma's comatose condition had been moved in the middle of it and the desks had been cleared away.

"I'm suddenly feeling a little nervous," Fuji said and straightened the collar of his school uniform, wondering if he should have dressed differently, but it seemed appropriate. They were at school, after all. Though it was well past the normal time and no one should have been there at all. But Inui had gotten hold of the keys, somehow, and arranged for the machine to be brought here.

"Do not worry, Tezuka will catch your unconscious body before it hits the floor and when you return it should be as easy as opening your eyes. In theory," Inui added and scribbled something down on his notebook.

"It's the theory part that has me worried," Fuji muttered.

"You do not have to do this," Tezuka said from the other side of the blue and white lighting storm. Fuji couldn't see him, but knew Tezuka was there, and he trusted Tezuka without hesitation. The same could not be said for Inui.

Thus the hesitation.

"Just tell me again how do I get back?" Fuji asked Inui. Professor Yamato was nowhere around. He'd retreated to his own study, claiming he would be more use doing the calculations than taking part in the practical tests.

"The gateway, once you have arrived, will be visible to you and you will be able to return through it at any time unless the device is shut off from here," Inui stood up from his seat and walked over to them. "You are the only one that it is visible to, unless, of course, you run into Echizen."

"And you've tested this?" Fuji asked.

"Many times," Inui said. "With rats."

"Is that why Echizen hasn't returned? Because the device was shut off?" Tezuka asked. "Shouldn't the gateway then appear before him when the device is turned on?"

"Hmmm," Inui turned back to the teacher's desk and on his notes. "I don't know. It's a possibility."

.

**Rikkai AU**

.

"Ryoma-kun, stop!" Sakuno screamed, stepping in his path and placing her palms against his chest. "What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes wide and confused.

"Let go, Ryuzaki," Ryoma ordered her, not sure, and not caring anymore if that was what he usually called her.

"No!" she yelled and squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm not letting go until you tell me what's wrong! We're best friends!"

Ryoma really wanted to ask how that had happened. He couldn't imagine having anything in common with her and she was always so shy around him. Or at least she was in the universe where things made sense. Here she didn't seem to have any troubles with speaking, or even screaming at him. And despite the fact that he'd sometimes wished she'd have more of a backbone, he'd give anything for her to be shy right now.

"Just leave it, Ryuzaki," Ryoma grunted and pushed her off, not too gently. He turned his back on her and turned right on the next corner that he came to, trying not to think about the fact that he didn't know where he was going.

He spotted an exit sign and got out of the school and ended up somewhere he really didn't want to be. Just a few metres away was the tennis court, and practice was about to start.

He looked around, wondering which way he should go when he spotted Yukimura heading his way. Ryoma swore and turned to go to the other direction, only to freeze. Straight ahead of him was a swirl of white and blue colours, an electric lightning storm trapped in an oval shape. It shimmered and pulsed, and emitted a humming sound that vibrated through him.

"I'm glad you waited for me, Ryoma-kun," Yukimura's hand coming down on his shoulder was like a shackle trapping him between the other boy and the raging light show.

"Hnh," Ryoma grunted and stepped back, away from the strange light storm and almost pressing himself against Yukimura. Right now the other boy, no matter how odd or creepy seemed like the lesser of two evils.

Yukimura placed his other arm on Ryoma's back and steered Ryoma towards the tennis court. "I want you to meet the team," Yukimura said.

"Yeah, wait, what?" Ryoma yelled and dug his heels on the ground, refusing to move another inch. He looked behind him at the light waves and shivered, almost yelled a warning when another student walked through it. But he was unharmed. Maybe the lights were just some strange visual hallucination? "Why?" he asked Yukimura.

"Because I want you to meet them," Yukimura repeated his reason, and sounded a little frustrated at having to do so.

"That's not a reason," Ryoma said, and before Yukimura could say anything more, added, "At least not something that'd convince me."

Yukimura frowned and folded his arms. "Just do it as a favour for a friend."

Ryoma crossed his arms, mirroring Yukimura, and narrowed his eyes, still keeping one eye on the shimmering light storm that kept pulsating, almost in-sync with his heart beat. "Why are you pestering me? Isn't there someone else you can bully, who'd actually like all the extra attention from you?"

"But I'm not interested in them." Yukimura said, causing Ryoma to take a step back.

"You're interested in me?" He asked, almost screaming.

Yukimura's smile was bright, almost blindingly so, and his answer came with a cheery voice. "Yes."

Ryoma coughed, and tried to will away the blush he knew was covering his face. "You're interested, interested?" he asked, just to be safe. "As in… Interested?"

Yukimura kept nodding, happily, but then his eyes widened at the realization, and he chuckled. "No! No, no, no, I mean just plain interested."

"If that was meant to be clarifying, it really wasn't," Ryoma remarked dryly.

"I'm really not interested in you," Yukimura grinned.

"You just said you were," Ryoma said, happy to drag the thing out as long as he could.

"Yes, but I'm not, I mean-" Yukimura snapped his mouth shut and closed his eyes, then drew in a deep breath and formed a thin, stressed smile. "Just come and meet the team, please?"

Ryoma shrugged. "All you had to do was ask." He started walking towards the tennis courts, leaving a fuming Yukimura, and most importantly, the freaky lights behind him.


End file.
